UTER
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Sphyraena barracuda
How to catch Great barracuda in Florida
Great barracuda feed in 70–90°F water and bite best at 76–86°F. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows them in 4 waters; in October they are at their peak in The Florida Keys, Palm Beach & the Treasure Coast.
25 pts · trophy at 40"Feeds 70–90°FBest 76–86°FIn season nowGrass flatArtificial reefWreckMarker / buoyChannel edgeBridge
About
The wolf of the flats and the reef: a long silver torpedo that follows the boat, sits under the markers and hits a tube lure at a speed that makes people drop the rod. Big ones carry ciguatera — release them.
How to fish it
Sight-fish them on the winter flats; cast a tube lure past the fish and retrieve as fast as the reel will go. Wire leader. Gloves for the release.
What it eats
tube lureslive pilchards and pinfishsurface plugsneedlefish
Live bait for it
PinfishHooked through the back ahead of the dorsal on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook; the small ones free-lined, the big ones on a fish-finder rig.
Pilchards (whitebait)Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore.
Blue runners (hardtails)Nose-hooked and slow-trolled on a wire stinger rig for kings; bridled for sailfish and cobia.What to fish it with
the sizes that fish itLeader20–40 lb fluorocarbon
Hook#1–4/0
Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
Braid10–30 lb
The rule
not confirmed hereSlot and bag limits in South Florida; confirm at MyFWC.
The current rule at MyFWC →Where it is, month by month
PPeakSSpawningAArriving·AroundLLeaving
Florida